Everyone has a Jean Boyd story, their own personal tale detailing the man’s genuinity, his passion for the Sun Devils, his love for his profession.
Dr. Kevin White, the school’s athletic director from 1996-2000, remembers the wide-eyed, hungry staffer eager to make his mark on his alma mater.
“[He was] obviously bright, well seasoned as a former student-athlete, coupled with unqualified curiosity, endless personal integrity and a relentless aspiration relative to professional growth and development.
“Jean represented all that was good, and right, about college athletics, both academically and competitively.”
Durand, a Pac-12 lifer who’s had stops at Oregon, UCLA and Washington, has never formally worked with Boyd, but the two have “grown up in the business together” as their paths overlapped and intersected given their similar roles at their respective universities.
“The thing that sticks in my mind most about Jean is how deeply and passionately he loves his school,” she said. “Everybody knows him. I have colleagues who don’t even know Jean but when his name comes up, it’s always, ‘He’s the guy from ASU, right?’ It’s hard to put into words other than to say, nationally, he’s the face and the heart and the soul of ASU.”
Former teammates strike a similar chord.
Jon Baker arrived in Tempe in the summer of 1992 as a placekicker on the football team, joining the Sun Devils as a junior college transfer. Upon his arrival, it was evident Jean was a respected leader, one of the team’s older players whose character and work ethic stood out.
“He was a leader on the team. It was clear he got along with virtually everybody, regardless of who they were, where they came from, what position they played, anything like that,” Baker said. “Jean was a guy who could spread over those differences with whoever he was talking to.”
Through mutual friends, the two became close.
The same holds true 30 years later. Baker is a sports agent, representing both players and coaches, some of which have come back to work with the Sun Devil football team. It’s often placed Baker and Boyd on opposite ends of the table amid contract negotiations for the potential hiring of coaches.
“At the end of the day, Jean is sincere in everything he does,” Baker said. “For me, that is a huge value. I don’t have to play games with Jean. I don’t have to worry about whether I’m negotiating in the middle of conversation to get his honest…
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